During the paranoid reign of Ayxas, the Mad Kuningas sought to crush any groups that could threaten his sovereignty. He first enforced a decree by force, outlawing the four existing Factions and replacing them with a single order of Alterers—the Castigar—whose loyalty belonged to him alone. The same fate befell the warrior brotherhoods when the Magan was established as the only combat school sanctioned by the ruling power. Those who defied this edict were ruthlessly suppressed in blood.

When his parents perished in a Tumult singularity in 60 AC, a five-year-old Gericht was placed in the care of the Ugetsu-Fenshen school, a secluded monastery on the edge of Vindmark, the eastern frontier of Caer Eidos. There, he was entrusted to an aging swordsman, Suddran, who was determined to harden the young orphan at any cost. Stripped of childhood innocence, thrust into a monastic life of extreme rigor, Gericht struggled to adapt—both to the unyielding demands of his new mentor and to the endless labor that stretched from dawn to dusk.

Yet, as the months and years passed, he grew accustomed to the harsh daily routine, forging bonds with his fellow orphans from across the Protectorate. There was a certain tranquility in the immutable rhythm of life: waking before dawn to prepare the disciples’ morning meal, cleaning the stables and barns, and so on. In the evenings, he listened to his friend Nadra play the lute, occasionally plucking a few strings as she tried to teach him her craft.

After four years under this regime, Suddran declared that it was time for him to become a disciple. From that day forward, his daily schedule transformed into something far harsher—strengthening his body and mind, learning the ways of the blade, dueling, and dueling again. Yet, there was an intoxicating exhilaration in this hardship, and for the first time, he glimpsed the possibility of becoming more than a mere outcast, more than a pariah. He threw himself into his training with unwavering devotion, thrilled by the slow but steady sharpening of both his body and spirit.

A year after him, Nadra also joined the apprentice swordsmen’s ranks. And as the years passed, Gericht realized he was happy—something he had believed forever out of reach. But that happiness would be short-lived. Cut off from the outside world, the monastery remained oblivious to the storm brewing beyond its walls. In 74 AC, envoys of the Kuningas arrived at the school, bearing a royal decree that outlawed the very existence of the monastery.

Walela, the Grandmaster of the Ugetsu-Fenshen school, thanked the emissaries for their message but politely refused the Kuningas' "request." The attack came the following dawn. An entire contingent of Magan warriors descended upon the monastery. Within moments, flames consumed the humble dwellings, charred wood hissing as rain began to fall. The monks fought fiercely, their blades dancing with deadly grace, repelling wave after wave of attackers. But like stone worn down by the tide, their resistance slowly crumbled beneath the relentless zeal of their assailants.

Gericht watched as friends perished before his eyes, as his old master fell to his knees, speared through from all sides. He saw Nadra, wounded, retreating, her face painted in flames and despair. Gericht was the first to break ranks. Grabbing Nadra by the arm, he tried to lead her to safety. But the arrows came like the wrath of a dying world. He tried to shield her, but he could not stop her from being struck down by the enemy archers. And he too was pierced by arrows and left for dead amid the monastery’s smoldering ruins.

When he regained consciousness, a lone figure stood over him. It was not Nadra, but the Eidolon Gunn, who had knelt beside him, tending to his wounds for days amidst the charred remains. She had come to collect the essence of the fallen warriors but had stayed when she saw that he still clung to life. She offered him a pact: to join the rebellion and help put an end to Ayxas’ tyranny. Gericht accepted—not only to avenge his comrades but to atone for his final act of cowardice.

He mourned at the monks’ graves, allowing a few tears to fall before Nadra’s tomb. Then, he took her lute, miraculously spared from the flames despite the scorch marks on its wood. But the fire continued to burn inside him—the very flames of vengeance. Within the rebellion, Gericht became a beast of war. He struck at the Kuningas’ forces like a rabid lion, leading merciless raids that left a trail of blood in their wake. He relished the chance to slaughter the Magan disciples, to watch them beg for mercy—a mercy he would never grant. With each battle, his legend grew.

He was the Five Blades Swordsman, as some whispered in fear or admiration, the last remnant of the Ugetsu-Fenshen school. His imposing frame belied an uncanny speed—his swords danced with unparalleled precision, weaving an intricate, deadly ballet. In his kohl-lined, icy eyes burned a rage that never seemed to fade. One by one, he cut down the Kuningas’ finest duelists, and with each victory, the rebellion rallied more tightly around him.

Yet, in the rare moments when he did not fight, one could sometimes hear him playing the lute with a tenderness and skill that would make even the Lyra envious. And if one listened closely, they might discern, hidden in the notes, a quiet melancholy, while tears traced silent paths down his cheeks. For though he had sentenced himself to a life of war, his soul longed only for rest. With each battle, he challenged death. And deep inside, perhaps he wished for it to finally claim him.

During the final assault on the Elysium, the Kuningas’ palace, he fought relentlessly at the vanguard. It was he who attempted to save Eskheret ruun-Kurush after she breached the fortress gates, carrying her battered body away from the battlefield. As she succumbed to her wounds, he relived Nadra’s death, plunging him into a terrible frenzy. Carried by his whirlwind of blades, he stormed the throne room, halting his slaughter only when he reached Ayxas himself, slumped at the foot of his dais.

Weary, he laid down his weapons, only then realizing the deep wounds lacerating his body. He withdrew to a quiet corner, exhausted but at peace, leaving the reins of power to the other rebels. As life slowly drained from him, he made no call for aid. By the time they found him, it was too late. A smile rested upon his lips, as if he had finally found a sliver of tranquility… Or perhaps he had smiled when Nadra came to guide him beyond. Years later, Gericht’s Eidolon appeared at a fencing school, drawing his blade to test its champions. To this day, every school knows that, one day, they will have to face one of his sudden visits—to prove their worth before the Five Blades Swordsman.